SMD File Format (.smd)
An SMD file is Valve's Studiomdl Data format, a plain text description of a mesh's skeleton, skin weights and animation frames that the GoldSrc and Source engines' studiomdl compiler turns into a game-ready model.
SMD at a glance#
| Full name | Valve Studiomdl Data |
|---|---|
| File extension | .smd |
| Category | 3D Models |
| Developer | Valve |
| First released | 1998 |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .smd file can hold#
These are the things a SMD file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Textures and materials | Yes |
|---|---|
| Skeletons and animation | Yes |
| Human readable | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of SMD#
What SMD does well
- Plain text, so an exporter or script can generate one without touching any binary format details
- Skeleton, skin weights and animation frames all share the same simple block syntax, which is why community exporters for so many art tools exist
- Still the format Source-engine modding tools compile from today, decades after GoldSrc introduced it with Half-Life
Where SMD falls short
- Not used at runtime; a game only ever loads the compiled .mdl file that studiomdl produces from one or more SMDs
- Text encoding makes it far larger and slower to parse than a binary skeletal format storing the same animation
- Tied to the Source and GoldSrc compiler pipeline, so it isn't a general-purpose interchange format outside Valve's tools
Write or export SMD when preparing a mesh or animation to compile into a GoldSrc or Source engine model with studiomdl.
Convert an SMD file when the mesh or animation needs to move into a modern DCC tool or engine outside the Source pipeline, since almost nothing outside Valve's tools reads it directly.
How to open a .smd file#
A .smd file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts SMD into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | Blender (Blender Source Tools), MilkShape 3D, Crowbar |
| macOS | Blender (Blender Source Tools) |
| Linux | Blender (Blender Source Tools) |
| Web | FileFlip |
SMD questions people ask#
What is an SMD file?
An SMD file is Valve's plain text Studiomdl Data format, holding a mesh's skeleton, skin weights and animation frames as the source that Valve's studiomdl compiler turns into a compiled model for the GoldSrc or Source engine.
Does a Half-Life or Source engine game actually load SMD files?
No. SMD is only an intermediate, source-tool format; studiomdl compiles one or more SMD files, together with a QC script describing how they fit together, into a single .mdl file, and that compiled file is what the game loads.
What still creates or reads SMD files?
Blender, using the community-maintained Blender Source Tools add-on, is the standard way to export SMD files today, alongside older tools like MilkShape 3D that supported the format directly. The Crowbar tool also compiles SMD files into Source engine models outside Valve's own SDK.
Converting SMD files#
Convert SMD to another format
FileFlip does not write .smd files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.